Low turnout expected for today's primary

Off-year balloting fails to spur voters

Published 10:00 pm, Monday, August 20, 2007

OLYMPIA -- Washington's first August primary, largely a mail-in affair featuring local government races and issues, culminates Tuesday with turnout projected at just one voter in three.

Still, the 34 percent projection is par for the course for an off-year election with no statewide races or issues to spur turnout, and reflects no falloff because of the earlier primary date, Secretary of State Sam Reed said Monday.

Reed, the state's chief elections officer, led Washington's county auditors in persuading the Legislature and Gov. Chris Gregoire to shift the primary date one month earlier, beginning this year.

Election officials had long worried that the old mid-September primary didn't leave enough time between the primary and general election to certify close races and get out the November ballots. Reed called it "a train wreck waiting to happen" if primary races required one or more recounts. Military and other overseas ballots also need the extra time, he said.

Election officials had hoped to move the primary back to May or June, but lawmakers declined to shift it that much, in part because it would crimp election-year fundraising and campaigning for incumbents. The governor and lawmakers are banned from soliciting or receiving campaign donations during the legislative session.

The primary participation should be a shade better than the typical off-year election, because of the ease of vote-by-mail and because of fairly interesting local races, Reed said. The 2005 primary drew 33 percent of Washington's 3.3 million registered voters.

Most of the primary vote, perhaps 90 percent, will be cast by mail. All but King, Pierce and Kittitas counties have shifted away from poll-site voting, and King and Pierce are expected to switch to all vote-by-mail in time for next year's elections.

Not all counties have primaries, since they're not scheduled if each office has only two candidates. Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, San Juan and Wahkiakum counties won't have primaries and some areas of the remaining counties also won't have this winnowing election.

Reed said turnout is being generated in some areas with hotly contested primaries for county and city offices, port commissions and school boards, and other offices and ballot issues. Those may not have the glamour of the statewide or congressional races, but the local officials have direct impact on voters' daily lives and quality of schools, ports, roads and other services, he said.

Many of the races are non-partisan, but in some areas, voters will be asked to pick a party and confine themselves to that party's partisan candidates. Non-partisan races are on all ballots.

An assortment of the day's action:

King County voters choose a Democrat to take on the interim Republican prosecuting attorney, Dan Satterberg, who was appointed after veteran prosecutor Norm Maleng died this summer. Satterberg is unopposed for his nomination. Bill Sherman, a deputy prosecutor, and attorney Keith Scully seek the Democratic nod.

The only legislative primary pits appointed Sen. Jim Clements, R-Selah, and his GOP challenger, business leader Curtis King, in a lively contest in Yakima Valley's 14th District.

Clements, a colorful quote-maker who calls himself "The Old Porchdog," served in the House for 12 years before his appointment in January to succeed veteran Sen. Alex Deccio, R-Yakima, who retired.

The nomination is tantamount to election in the heavily Republican district. The sole Democratic candidate, Wylie Mills, is not endorsed by his own party.

Spokane has a five-way primary for mayor. Incumbent Dennis Hession was appointed mayor by the city council after Jim West, the former state Senate majority leader, lost a 2005 recall election after a sex scandal. West later died. Hession has four primary competitors; the top two will advance to the November finals.

Snohomish County has some interesting races, including a hot open primary for sheriff and a county council contest that pits two Democratic legislative colleagues. The race to succeed term-limited Sheriff Rick Bart features three candidates who want to advance to the November finals, including the state House speaker pro tempore, John Lovick.

Two legislative chairmen, Rep. Brian Sullivan, D-Mukilteo, and Sen. Jean Berkey, D-Everett, are facing off for a county council nomination. The winner will face Republican William Cooper in November.

Seattle and other cities have city council posts, school board and port commission slots open. Some counties are electing council members and other local leaders. Some have ballot propositions, including two six-year park levies in King County.